Here’s a slew of vegan sweet potato recipes from appetizers to desserts. This selection features great ways to help you use more of this richly flavored, vividly orange-hued vegetable.
Sweet potatoes are one of the most ancient, nutritious, and valuable food crops of the Americas. Not to diminish the value of white or golden potatoes, but in comparison, sweet potatoes are substantially richer in nutrients.
They’re especially high in vitamin A and the major minerals. With their natural sweetness and glorious color, sweet potatoes lend themselves to simple preparations. And thought sweet potatoes are splendid as a side dish, simply baked or microwaved, you’ll want to explore the easy, plant-based options presented here.
Are sweet potatoes the same thing as yams? In a word, no. Sweet potatoes are the vegetable that have a deep orange, usually moist flesh. Yams are pale or paler on the inside, with a drier, mealier flesh (that’s still pretty sweet). Sweet potatoes are often marketed, not correctly as yams or “southern yams.” Dishes like candied yams are most always made with sweet potatoes.
The exception to this are garnet yams. These are a smaller, and even sweeter variety of sweet potato. If you see them, grab some!
Appetizers
Sweet Potato Hummus with Artichoke Hearts: Sweet potato hummus is a mellow backdrop for briny artichoke hearts (or olives, if you prefer the variation).
Vegan Avocado and Sweet Potatoes Quesadillas or Soft Tacos: These vegan avocado and sweet potato quesadillas (or soft tacos) might be made with just 5 ingredients, but they pack a lot of great flavor.
Soups & Stews
Harvest Sweet Potato Stew with Fresh Greens & Corn: This lively sweet potato stew features hardy greens, fresh corn, summer squash, and tomatoes. It’s a perfect way to showcase early fall produce.
Kale and Sweet Potato Stew with Yellow Squash: With its deep green color and elaborately ruffled leaves, kale is contrasted with yellow squash and bright orange sweet potato in a fantastic fall dish.
Coconut Sweet Potato Bisque: The prep for this cheerful-hued coconut sweet potato bisque is super easy — the sweet potatoes are microwaved ahead of time and then just scooped out of their skins.
White Bean Stew with Sweet Potatoes & Squash: Here’s a vegan white bean stew that you could possibly call a white bean chili, though you need not call it anything but simple and tasty.
African-Inspired Peanut Stew with Sweet Potatoes & Okra: A delectable sweet potato and okra stew in a rich peanut butter base, this is a westernized version of a typical African recipe.
Miso Soup with Sweet Potatoes & Greens: Sweet potato and tender greens (choose from spinach, arugula, watercress, or tatsoi) synergize nicely in this quick miso soup.
Main dishes
Skillet Black Beans with Sweet Potatoes & Tortillas: Skillet black beans with sweet potatoes embellished with tortillas is a hearty vegan main dish for families that enjoy lively south-of-the-border flavors.
Quick Black Bean & Sweet Potato Chili: With the addition of sweet potatoes, this easy chili is invigorating yet comforting. It has become a classic combo, and this easy recipe proves why it’s such a favorite.
Quick Chili-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes: Here’s a quick route to a satisfying dinner. If you don’t have the time to bake the sweet potatoes (though their flavor and texture do benefit from the slow oven treatment), microwaving them is completely fine. Both options are presented here.
Tofu and Sweet Potato Curry: Once you have your sweet potatoes ready, this tasty and offbeat tofu and sweet potato curry comes together quickly. Make the preparation super-easy by using a jar of Indian simmer sauce
Vegan Sweet Potato Shepherds’ Pie: This comforting, hearty vegan sweet potato shepherd’s pie is a perfect Thanksgiving or Christmas main dish, but you need not wait for a holiday to enjoy it.
Curried Sweet Potatoes with Chard & Chickpeas: A fusion of flavor and color is what this hearty dish of curried sweet potatoes with chard and chickpeas is all about.
Golden and Sweet Potato Hash Browns with Vegan Chorizo: Hearty hash brown skillets are irresistible, and this one becomes a main dish with sweet potatoes, greens, and vegan chorizo.
Sweet Potato Pizza with Caramelized Onions & Olives: Here’s a delectably different kind of pizza—a vegan white pizza brimming with well-cooked onions, roasted sweet potato, and briny olives. Combine this pizza with most any kind of salad, and you have a delicious cool-weather dinner.
Roasted Sweet Potato Mac ‘n “Cheese”: The ‘cheese’ in this recipe by Sophia Zergiotis is a combination of roasted sweet potato, mustard, and nutritional yeast. The result is a nostalgic mac and cheese with a grown up edge and a rich, creamy, and satisfying dish! This may not be what you’d expect to find on a list of vegan sweet potato recipes, but it’s amazing.
Side dishes
Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Leeks & Walnuts: Try this festive side dish of mashed sweet potatoes with leeks and walnuts to dress up the fall and winter holiday table, or any other special occasion.
Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Pecans: Subtly sweetened and topped with crunchy toasted pecans, maple mashed sweet potatoes is a classic Thanksgiving side dish, though you need not wait for a special occasion to enjoy it.
Hoisin-Glazed Collard Greens and Sweet Potatoes: There’s something so enticing about the sweet-and-pungent flavor of hoisin sauce enveloping the mild, earthy flavors of collard greens and sweet potatoes.
Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes: Here’s a holiday-sized portion of maple roasted sweet potatoes in a preparation that enhances the natural sweetness of this well-loved vegetable.
Maple roasted sweet potatoes and apples: This is a side dish that’s as welcome for fall and winter holiday meals as for everyday fare.
Carrot & Sweet Potato Tzimmes: You don’t have to wait for a holiday — or be Jewish — to enjoy carrot and sweet potato tzimmes. It’s a festive dish for any cool-weather occasion.
Easy Hash Brown Potatoes: This versatile and easy hash brown potatoes recipe has been a favorite in my family for ages. It’s vegan, of course, and there are lots of ways to vary it. Include sweet potatoes for color and flavor.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pecans: Garnet yams are even sweeter than sweet potatoes, so Leslie Cerier suggests using them in this recipe. Serve it as part of a vegan Thanksgiving holiday or anytime you want to warm up the house with the sweet aromas of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Bulgur & Sweet Potato Pilaf: This attractive dish by Vicki Chelf has a subtle sweet flavor and the crunch of toasted walnuts. Double this recipe for a great winter holiday grain dish—it’s perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners.
Tehri-Inspired Brown Rice & Sweet Potato Pilaf: Inspired by an Indian/Pakistani dish called Tehri, this pilaf is embellished with green peas and flavored with lots of ginger and cilantro.
5 Ways to Make Stuffed Sweet Potatoes: Though they’re super tasty in their own right, making stuffed sweet potatoes with vegetables, beans, and other vegan ingredients takes them to a whole new level.
Sweet Potato Fries: Here’s one you really don’t need a formal recipe for. Simply peel (or scrub well) 2 or 3 sweet potatoes. Cut into fry shapes and toss in a large bowl with a little olive oil. Season any way you’d like. Bake at 425ºF for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the outsides are nicely roasted and the insides are fork-tender.
Salads
Golden and Sweet Potato Salad: This two-potato salad will please eaters of all persuasions with its mild, pleasant flavors and enticing colors. It’s a fantastic selection for potlucks, and of course, picnics.
Tri-Color Potato & Arugula Salad: This potato and arugula salad combines three kinds of potatoes with the peppery greens for an earthy flavor with plenty of eye appeal.
Sweet Potato Salsa Salad: If you’re looking for a tasty salad that’s hearty enough to be eaten as a main dish, look no further. This sweet potato salad is deliciously sweet, savory, and fresh tasting.
Sweet Potato and Waldorf Salad: The addition of the sweet potato and toasted pine nuts makes this simple salad an exceptional side dish or a hearty lunch. Because the natural flavors blend so well, there’s little need for exotic seasonings. This salad was created by Zel Allen.
Baked goods
Sweet Potato Biscuits: Here’s a vegan version of the very slightly sweet, traditional Southern sweet potato biscuits. They’re a perfect companion to hearty vegetable or bean stews, and a nice addition to Thanksgiving or Christmas menus. Or, just enjoy them for breakfast or as a not-too-sweet companion to a cup of coffee or tea.
Vegan sweet potato pie: This veganized classic pie is made with silken tofu and sets up beautifully when baked. The cheering color makes it perfect for fall or winter occasions. Pie crust sizes vary, so if excess filling remains after pouring into the crust, fill a ramekin or two, and bake at the same time as the pie to make mini-puddings.
Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Cake: Just as the flavors of pumpkin (or other orange winter squash, especially butternut) and chocolate are surprisingly compatible, so are the flavors of sweet potato and chocolate.
fabulous recipes!
Thank you, Max!